Having healthy, thick hair is something that many of us strive for. We spend hours researching products, trying different treatments, and experimenting with various hairstyles. But sometimes, it feels like we're missing something. Especially since growing hair in our childhood seemed a lot simpler, despite the products often now being deemed unacceptable for natural hair.
Hair grease has been a staple in the Black community for decades. Before the SheaMoisture, Cantus, and other well known beauty products targeted towards Black women, we had conditioner, creamy crack or checmical perms, and hair grease.
Throughout the cultural trends over the last few years, from rice water and henna to gels and mousses, hair grease has managed to stay relevant, despite its occasional bad rep and shade from the natural hair community.
Why?
Because hair grease is versatile. From the straight naturals to the kinky curly fro naturals, grease is still widely used to support sealing moisture into thirsty tresses.
For many kinky haired naturals, it not only seals in he moisture but protects our ends from breaking off and knotting up! From personal experience, I've witnessed my hair transform (for better or worse) when I was using hair grease compared to removing it from my routine.
Now that I am thoroughly in the camp of doing what works for my hair and damn anyone who says otherwise, it is freeing to share the way I rarely get single strand knots when i use grease. Or how breakage is down so much, even though my hair is recovering from being color treated to copper and then back to black.
So if your still on the fence on trying it, I say go for it! It works to support moisture retention, reduce breakage, and even supports scalp health. But remember, always do everything in moderation.
Grease, when used incorrectly can impede growth or weigh heavily on hair, which may cause breakage.
I am careful to never slather grease like I would a deep conditioner or leave-in conditioner. Grease is an occlusive agent, meaning it is a sealant. This should always be one of your last steps in styling your hair, with all water based products going on first.
Remember, applying grease to dry hair is only acting as a barrier to future moisture getting in. Once the grease has been added, to re-moisturize properly, make sure to wash hair with a clarifying shampoo.
Don't apply grease to scalp if you’re prone to dandruff or other scalp conditions. If you want to ty it, do a patch test first with one section of your head. Wait at least one hour or up to a day to see how your scalp reacts to it before applying more.
When possible, prioritize supporting local Black hair companies that also sell hair grease. Review the ingredients and choose which looks most 'clean' in their ingredient list.
Shameless plug, I am launching my own hair care line for Black women this fall, and I look forward to sharing how I style my hair using my products. But, in the meantime, support other beauty creators who sell hair grease in your area!
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